Zelensky: North Korea Executes Its Soldiers to Prevent Capture in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky states that North Korea is making every effort to prevent its soldiers from being captured in the Russia-Ukraine war, even showing evidence of the execution of North Korean troops engaged in battle. Zelensky emphasized that North Korean forces deployed to the Kursk war zone are not protected or supported by either the Russian army or North Korean observers. In a video statement on Friday, he said, "Neither Moscow nor Pyongyang has any interest in ensuring the survival of North Korean troops. All measures are arranged in such a way that capturing them alive has become impossible for us. There are instances where they are executed by their own forces. The casualties among North Korean military personnel are significant. Very significant." Earlier, Zelensky released a video apparently showing Russian forces "burning the faces of dead North Korean troops" in the Kursk area to conceal evidence of their presence in the battlefield. Earlier this week, he announced that three thousand North Korean military personnel have been killed or wounded in Kursk. Seoul has reported that North Korea is preparing to send more troops and drones to Russia. U.S. officials have also confirmed the heavy casualties of North Korean soldiers on the battlefield in Ukraine, with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stating that a thousand North Korean soldiers were killed in the past week alone. Zelensky mentioned that the Ukrainian army has managed to capture a few North Korean soldiers, but they were severely injured, and saving their lives was not possible. He stated that the people of North Korea should not lose their lives in battles in Europe, and this is something that North Korea's neighbors, including China, can prevent through influence. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed a bilateral defense pact with Russia in June of this year, reportedly providing Russia with 12,000 military personnel. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated earlier this year that Moscow and Tehran intend to sign an agreement that includes "closer defense cooperation." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to visit Moscow on January 17, and it is unclear whether a similar agreement with North Korea will also occur between Russia and Iran. Meanwhile, the Afghan section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported on the forced deployment of former Afghan military refugees in Iran to Russia to fight in Ukraine. A former Afghan military refugee in Iran told the media, "We have no choice; we are forced to either sign the deployment form to fight in Ukraine or face the risk of deportation to Afghanistan and torture in Taliban prisons and the collapse of our families." Previously, many reports had emerged about the deployment of Afghan refugees by the Islamic Republic to fight in Syria as part of the 'Fatemiyoun Brigade' in exchange for residency cards in Iran and financial compensation.